2025-2026: Around the League

[Knightro]

I think the bigger issue here is that the league does not want this to become a huge thing (too late IMO) because Ballmer is certainly not the only owner doing this.

No-show or extremely minimal effort endorsement deals that were facilitated by the team are a lot more common than any of us realize if I had to guess. I wouldn’t be shocked at all if it’s happening league wide.

[tooler]

It also might be a good opportunity to stop it universally. I could envision a scenario where a couple owners started doing this under the table, then once it's normalized you get to the point where you have psychopaths like Uncle Dennis openly demanding all sorts of improper benefits. Maybe now the owners can kill the monster they created.

In the new CBA the penalty is only a single first round draft pick. Not the end of a franchise.

[AdamTheGreek]

$300-500 million fine distributed to the other NBA teams equally.
2 lost first round picks.
Kawhi’s contract is torn up (but the vacated salary still counts against the Clippers’ cap sheet for this season). Kawhi is suspended for 1 season from the league. Kawhi is immediately free to sign for any team in a different league (China, Euroleague quality team, etc.).
Clippers should lose any All-Star Weekend events and hand them to the Lakers.
That should be the punishment. Anything less and it’s a slap on the wrist and won’t change anything.

[AdamTheGreek]

Knicks signing Brogdon is an amazing get if he can stay healthy.

[basketballRob]

Knicks signing Brogdon is an amazing get if he can stay healthy.

I wonder how much they gave him on the side?

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[RookieStar]

I think the bigger issue here is that the league does not want this to become a huge thing (too late IMO) because Ballmer is certainly not the only owner doing this.

No-show or extremely minimal effort endorsement deals that were facilitated by the team are a lot more common than any of us realize if I had to guess. I wouldn’t be shocked at all if it’s happening league wide.

Its a lot more common in college. I read before that our very own Paolo when at Duke had an endorsement deal with a car-lending-sale-company that all he had to do was drive one of their cars or something. Its not even a luxury car or a car with advertisement. Nobody even knew about that NIL deal until Paolo smashed it lol

[MasterGMer]

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Read on Twitter

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[Knightro]

I think the bigger issue here is that the league does not want this to become a huge thing (too late IMO) because Ballmer is certainly not the only owner doing this.

No-show or extremely minimal effort endorsement deals that were facilitated by the team are a lot more common than any of us realize if I had to guess. I wouldn’t be shocked at all if it’s happening league wide.

Its a lot more common in college. I read before that our very own Paolo when at Duke had an endorsement deal with a car-lending-sale-company that all he had to do was drive one of their cars or something. Its not even a luxury car or a car with advertisement. Nobody even knew about that NIL deal until Paolo smashed it lol

Well sure, but pay for play deals are no longer illegal in college. And there's no collective bargaining agreement that sets the rules officially either.

[pepe1991]

NBA is walking dead at this point. Fact that ESPN & other nba media tried to defend it and sell Torre as "fake news" before he went back with even more evidence is telling.
Former players like Frye calling him snitch just goes to show you that this is common practice.


League's credibility is gone.

[eyriq]

If the league finds owner-linked payments functioning as salary they'll hammer the offenders. It is irrational to hold the belief that this is some nefarious black market activity that is league sanctioned when they have fought hard for the cap in the first place. If they wanted to wink at cheating they'd just remove the cap.

[pepe1991]

If the league finds owner-linked payments functioning as salary they'll hammer the offenders. It is irrational to hold the belief that this is some nefarious black market activity that is league sanctioned when they have fought hard for the cap in the first place. If they wanted to wink at cheating they'd just remove the cap.

Owners vote for cap to have control over costs. Most owners can't follow Ballmer in money game.
Ballmer is 6th richest person in the world.

League had investigation over Kawhi in 2019 and found nothing. League also didn't find this, it's work of one good journalist with integrity.

League has history of trying to bury everything under a rug.

[ogmagicfan]

League gotta put their foot down

Which would essentially have the Clips being a bad team for the next decade at minimum considering 3+ 1st rounder should be taken away at minimum & the Clips have no 1st for a while

S/o to Pablo Torre on the great journalistic piece

[eyriq]

If the league finds owner-linked payments functioning as salary they'll hammer the offenders. It is irrational to hold the belief that this is some nefarious black market activity that is league sanctioned when they have fought hard for the cap in the first place. If they wanted to wink at cheating they'd just remove the cap.

Owners vote for cap to have control over costs. Most owners can't follow Ballmer in money game.
Ballmer is 6th richest person in the world.

League had investigation over Kawhi in 2019 and found nothing. League also didn't find this, it's work of one good journalist with integrity.

League has history of trying to bury everything under a rug.

What is the league incentive to allow owners to cheat?

[pepe1991]

If the league finds owner-linked payments functioning as salary they'll hammer the offenders. It is irrational to hold the belief that this is some nefarious black market activity that is league sanctioned when they have fought hard for the cap in the first place. If they wanted to wink at cheating they'd just remove the cap.

Owners vote for cap to have control over costs. Most owners can't follow Ballmer in money game.
Ballmer is 6th richest person in the world.

League had investigation over Kawhi in 2019 and found nothing. League also didn't find this, it's work of one good journalist with integrity.

League has history of trying to bury everything under a rug.

What is the league incentive to allow owners to cheat?

What league does to prevent it?

Tim Donaghy scandal- FBI investigation, NBA "knew nothing about". Scott Foster called Tim 134 times on phone during investigation over 6 months, during rigged games 4 times a day. But Foster is still ref.

Donald Sterling scandal- TMZ leaked audio. As usual, nba "knew nothing". But literally everybody around Clippers + all the players were saying he is racist for years.

Lamar Odom admists taking crack, cocaine and smoking weed during NBA near entire career. NBA never busted him.

Terry Rozier is still under investigation. NBA spokesman Mike Bass stated that the league had already conducted an investigation on the matter and "did not find any violation of NBA rules." The current investigation we are discussing is being done by the federal government.


As i said, NBA never knows nothing, because it's in their interest to pretend nothing happend. No matter what happens.

There is A LOT of evidence that Ballmer cheated. We also know for fact he did similar thing with Deandre Jordan back in 2015. We also know that league never finds nothing on their own. Just take a look at list of players who were busted for steroids . It's list of biggest nobodies you can find. Over a hill and irrelevant Turkogulu being biggest name in history of testing. In same league where, especially around 2000s, players looked like mr. Olympia competitiors.

[sChOlaRlY_Magi]

Owners vote for cap to have control over costs. Most owners can't follow Ballmer in money game.
Ballmer is 6th richest person in the world.

League had investigation over Kawhi in 2019 and found nothing. League also didn't find this, it's work of one good journalist with integrity.

League has history of trying to bury everything under a rug.

What is the league incentive to allow owners to cheat?

What league does to prevent it?


This was a pretty comprehensive list dunking on the NBA.

Well done, Pepe.

Tim Donaghy scandal- FBI investigation, NBA "knew nothing about". Scott Foster called Tim 134 times on phone during investigation over 6 months, during rigged games 4 times a day. But Foster is still ref.

Donald Sterling scandal- TMZ leaked audio. As usual, nba "knew nothing". But literally everybody around Clippers + all the players were saying he is racist for years.

Lamar Odom admists taking crack, cocaine and smoking weed during NBA near entire career. NBA never busted him.

Terry Rozier is still under investigation. NBA spokesman Mike Bass stated that the league had already conducted an investigation on the matter and "did not find any violation of NBA rules." The current investigation we are discussing is being done by the federal government.


As i said, NBA never knows nothing, because it's in their interest to pretend nothing happend. No matter what happens.

There is A LOT of evidence that Ballmer cheated. We also know for fact he did similar thing with Deandre Jordan back in 2015. We also know that league never finds nothing on their own. Just take a look at list of players who were busted for steroids . It's list of biggest nobodies you can find. Over a hill and irrelevant Turkogulu being biggest name in history of testing. In same league where, especially around 2000s, players looked like mr. Olympia competitiors.

Great breakdown Pepe!

[sChOlaRlY_Magi]

Has anyone either seen an article or heard anything about Moe’s reaction to Franz wearing his jersey when accepting the hardware?

Such a feel good story. I’d love to hear something along the lines of Boogie telling bro “ Rest easy, I got this.”

Doesn’t this make it back to back chips for them?

[basketballRob]

Has anyone either seen an article or heard anything about Moe’s reaction to Franz wearing his jersey when accepting the hardware?

Such a feel good story. I’d love to hear something along the lines of Boogie telling bro “ Rest easy, I got this.”

Doesn’t this make it back to back chips for them?

I think they won the World Championship, got the silver in the Olympics, and now won the European championship.

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[ORLMagicGirl15]

Has anyone either seen an article or heard anything about Moe’s reaction to Franz wearing his jersey when accepting the hardware?

Such a feel good story. I’d love to hear something along the lines of Boogie telling bro “ Rest easy, I got this.”

Doesn’t this make it back to back chips for them?

I think they won the World Championship, got the silver in the Olympics, and now won the European championship.

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They did not win in the Olympics.

It was USA, France, Serbia

[basketballRob]

Has anyone either seen an article or heard anything about Moe’s reaction to Franz wearing his jersey when accepting the hardware?

Such a feel good story. I’d love to hear something along the lines of Boogie telling bro “ Rest easy, I got this.”

Doesn’t this make it back to back chips for them?

I think they won the World Championship, got the silver in the Olympics, and now won the European championship.

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using RealGM mobile app

They did not win in the Olympics.

It was USA, France, Serbia

I forgot they lost to France and USA won the gold.

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[Knightro]

Germany has had a huge amount of success since Franz joined the national team in 2022.

2022: EuroBasket - Bronze
2023: FIBA World Cup - Champions
2024: Olympics - Lost in bronze medal game (4th place)
2025: EuroBasket - Gold

2026 is shaping up to be a light summer for Franz from an international perspective.

2027 is the next FIBA World Cup and will be played in Qatar
2028 is the next Summer Olympics and will be played in Los Angeles
2029 is the next EuroBasket and the final stages will be played in Madrid